Tuna Tin 2 LIVE stream Buildathon (JAN2024)Price: $35.00 |
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THis LIVE streamed Buildathon is all over but the kit lives on and the LIVE streamed videos are available on my YouTube channel....LINKS for the 3 videos are included below.
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Tuna Tin 2 history:
The original cover article for the Tuna Tin 2 was published in the May 1976 issue of QST. Over the years this quintessential QRP transmitter has been built by thousands of amateurs. QRPme kits several versions of the TT2 and offers up one more.
In 2011, QRPme offered up a 35th anniversary version TT2 then followed by another version with a built in RF Probe. This latest 40th anniversary issue is an upgrade to both earlier versions and brings it totally up to date. The major changes to these earlier designs are larger pads, traces and clearances deletion of an earlier on board RF Probe. For overall clarity, the parts are laid out on the board in the exact same way the schematic is drawn. The toroids and transformer have been replaced to both reduce the complexity and time of the build. ALL the connectors are mounted directly to the board so there is no external wiring to mess around with. The pads, traces and spaces are BIG to help reduce soldering problems for beginners. All the components are supplied with the kit so all you need are tools, soldering iron and solder. Of course, you will need to come up with a can to mount your finished kit on... You could have a tuna fish sandwich for a snack while you build the kit. I prefer a small can of DOLEs pineapple chunks. Look for a tuna fish or pineapple can with a pull top lid! After you pull the tab, a small lip remains on the outside rim of the can. The TT2 board sits on this lip and is held onto the can by a bolt through the board and bottom of the can. You will have to drill a hole in the bottom of your can to mount the board....
The 40th anniversary Tuna Tin 2 transmitter kit is THE perfect kit for club builds and Buildathons due to its easy construction and HIGH degree of probability of having a working kit at the end of the build....even for 1st time builders.
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The LIVE stream Buildathon Sessions are over but you can still view them on my YouTube channel. Links to the sessions are down below in the additional links section.
QRPme 2024 LIVE Stream Buildathon #1
W1REX & friends will be hosting a LIVE streamed BUILDATHON...over 3 nights....starting at the end of January. Sunday January 28, Wednesday January 31 and the following Sunday February 4 are the nights scheduled for the 3 sessions centered around building a Tuna Tin 2 40th Anniversary kit. In previous LIVE streamed BUILDATHONS, we have been limited in trying to cram an entire BUILDATHON in a 2 or 3 hour time slot. The builds were done in a rather quick pace in order to FIT everything into the single session with not much time for in depth discussion on the what and why. This BUILDATHON will be much different. Each session will focus on a different aspect of the process.
Sunday January 28 5PM EST
Objectives: WHY QRP, TT2 circuit operation, parts identification & sorting, soldering techniques and practice.
We will be talking about all the above stuff then ending with soldering practice building a couple of elementary pieces of QRP test equipment useful after your successful completion of the 40th Anniversary Tuna Tin 2 kit. Lots of time to cover these topics with Q&A encouraged. Additions to this 40th Anniversary kit will include parts & pcbs for a simple straight key, dummy load and RF probe. These 3 items are much simpler than the actual TT2 transmitter so easier to build. They will make good starting points for those learning to solder YET very useful when checking out your completed Tuna Tin 2 transmitter.
Wednesday January 31 8PM EST
Objectives: BUILDING a QRP kit!
Since you now know *everything* about the Tuna Tin 2 design and how to solder, we get to work and actually BUILD the kit. With 37 total parts, this TT2 kit is relatively simple to build and should be able to be completed in one evening. We will take it slow and since this session is not in another event*s time window, we should be able to take it slowly so that everyone should be able to keep up....now that you are ALL experienced solderers....
Sunday February 4 5PM EST
Objectives: Getting everyone*s kit up & running and testing its performance.
We will have the whole session devoted to getting EVERYONE*s kit completed and running as expected. We will learn how to use the key, dummy load and RF Probe to debug and check transmitter performance.
We will be LIVE streaming this BUILDATHON from Stephen, N1SH, Houser*s QTH and will have plenty of time each evening to get through the objectives. It will be broadcast on my YouTube account (Rex Harper) and on Charlie “Red” Brown, NJ7V, (Red Summit RF) Podcast channel. All 3 sessions will be archived on those sites immediately after their broadcast so latecomers will be able to review any missed material.... Times will be 5PM EST on the Sunday sessions and 8PM EST on the Wednesday session. All kits will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail so US and Canada orders should have ample time to arrive on time. DX orders are a little iffy unless they are ordered ASAP.
This Buildathon is not part of any other event.It is strictly a QRPme production. Buy the kit and build-along with us or simply tune in and watch. No purchase necessary to sign in and watch the sessions. The Buildathon registration includes the TT2 40th Anniversary kit, simple straight key, dummy load & rf probe kits...all for $35
Stay tuned to this product page for more information as I will be posting lots of pre-Buildathon information before the 1st session.
Hope to see you there!
Rex W1REX
Documentation
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